Iga Swiatek Survives Wimbledon Scare as Anisimova, Pliskova Cruise; Shelton Falls in Five-Set Thriller

London: Defending champion Iga Swiatek survived a huge scare before winning her opening match against the world No.79 Taylor Townsend in three sets at the 2026 Wimbledon at the All-England Club in London on Tuesday, joining last year’s finalist Amanda Anisimova and Karolina Pliskova in the second round.

 The Polish star won her last 20 games here last year to lift her sixth Grand Slam title, and the world No.3 continued in the same vein as she raced to the first set on her return to Centre Court in only 31 minutes.

But cheered on by her friends Naomi Osaka and Katerina Siniakova, the American left-hander Townsend fought back to level the match and force a deciding set.

However, Swiatek held her nerve to win 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 in two hours and two minutes.

There are still only two defending Wimbledon ladies’ champions who have lost in the first round - Steffi Graf in 1994 and Marketa Vondrousova in 2024. Siwatek avoided that fate on Tuesday but will have to be careful in her upcoming matches.

World number two Elena Rybakina had to dig deep to reach the second round with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 win against France’s Lois Boisson.

Earlier in the day, Anisimova and Pliskova made confident starts to their campaigns, producing straight-set victories to advance to the second round. While last year’s runner-up Anisimova put the disappointment of her 2025 final behind her with an emphatic display, former finalist Pliskova rolled back the years with a composed victory over fellow Czech Tereza Valentova.

Anisimova, the sixth seed, needed just over an hour to defeat North Macedonia’s Lina Gjorcheska 6-3, 6-2, while Pliskova claimed her first Wimbledon main-draw victory since 2022 by overcoming Valentova 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 15 minutes.

For Anisimova, the opening-round encounter represented a fresh beginning after last year’s heartbreaking championship-match defeat to Iga Swiatek. Returning to the grass courts where she came within one match of the title, the American looked completely at ease from the opening game.

Pliskova’s victory was built on patience, precision, and experience rather than overwhelming dominance. The former world No. 1 continued her impressive record against compatriots, improving her career mark against fellow Czech players to 46-26. Even more notably, she is now 20-7 against younger Czech opponents.

The contest itself was decided by the finest of margins. A single service break proved enough in each set, with Pliskova striking in the eighth game on both occasions.

The victory also marked Pliskova’s 19th career Wimbledon main-draw win and her first at the Championships in four years, offering another encouraging sign as she looks to rebuild momentum on one of her most successful Grand Slam stages.

American fourth seed Ben Shelton was dumped out in the first round of Wimbledon by Finland’s Otto Virtanen, missing a match point before losing in a fifth-set tie-break.

The 23-year-old Shelton, an All England Club quarterfinalist last year, suffered his first opening-round defeat at a Grand Slam since the 2023 French Open.

World number 140 Virtanen will face British wildcard Arthur Fery in the second round after a 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (8/10), 6-2, 7-6 (11/9) victory that lasted four hours and 21 minutes.

For the second time in a little over 48 hours, Zizou Bergs repelled the challenge of Ugo Humbert, this time in the first round of men's singles at Wimbledon at the All-England Club, reliving his victory in the Eastbourne final on Sunday.

Bergs got off to a flying start against the No.27 seed, and then, as Humbert fought back, he held firm to win 6-2, 7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 on Court 17 on Tuesday. The Belgian had beaten Humbert on Sunday after dropping the opening set in the Eastbourne final.

This win is all the more remarkable as Bergs, the world No.37, had started his campaign in Eastbourne on the back of a six-match, tour-level losing streak that stretched back to mid-April.

Meanwhile, American sixth seed Taylor Fritz, who reached the semifinals last year, eased past Dusan Lajovic in straight sets 6-3 6-4 6-3, while fifth seed Alex de Minaur also wasted little time in beating Roman Andres Burruchaga 7-6 6-1 6-0.

Moreover, Valentin Royer beat Harry Wendelken 4-6 6-3 6-3 6-3, Quentin Halys beat Matteo Arnaldi 3-6 6-1 7-6 6-3, Jacob Fearnley beat Alex Michelsen 3-6 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-2.

In women’s section, 9th seed Linda Nosková beat Ella Seidel 6-4 6-3, 15th seed Diana Shnaider beat Eva Lys 7-5, 6-1, Liudmila Samsonova beat Polina Kudermetova 6-3 6-3, 12th seed Marta Kostyuk beat Nadia Podoroska 6-1 6-2, 17th seed Sorana Cîrstea beat Sara Bejlek 6-1 7-6, Alexandra Eala beat Renata Zarazúa 6-1 6-2, Daria Snigur stunned 8th seed Elina Svitolina 7-5 6-2. Agencies

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